What are the most important social media tools for self-employed professionals?

You can also use AI tools to help you: - Find new trends and themes - Come up with content ideas - Write first drafts of your posts - Generate images for your posts - Analyze high-performing posts Some of my favorite AI tools are ChatGPT, Claude, DALL·E, Copy.ai and Jasper. By using AI tools, you'll save time and create higher-quality content at scale!

"In the realm of self-employment, social media tools are the Swiss Army knives that help professionals connect, engage, and thrive." - Anonymous 3 questions to ask on this: How can you select the most suitable social media tools that align with your specific goals, target audience, and industry as a self-employed professional? In what ways can you use social media analytics and scheduling platforms to optimize your presence and content strategy on various social channels? How does ongoing learning and staying updated on new social media tools and features help you adapt and succeed in a competitive digital landscape as a self-employed professional?

For a self-employed social media professional or solopreneur in social media, Google tools like Drive, Docs, Google Sheets etc For social media content Canva & Inshot All these tools works are PC & mobile-friendly. Also Chatgpt for new ideas & and much more.

This is my Social Media Manager content creation tech stack: -Canva: Graphics and design templates -Loom: Screen and camera recording -CapCut: Fast mobile and desktop video editing -Notion: Calendar planning, writing, and AI -Grammarly: Copywriting in your browser -Midjourney: AI Image generation Learning these tools can help you get your presence off the ground on social media.

I love Canva, especially Canva Pro, for creating graphics. You don't have to invest a lot of time learning to use it to create something that works. Take it from me, I'm no graphic designer! Grammarly for writing is a no-brainer. ChatGPT can be great for getting some ideas and structure to help get started.

As a solopreneur you're likely watching cost. Beware schedulers that see a big jump in price for additional account slots or users you don't need (Hootsuite does this). I use a combination of Loomly and the channels own schedulers.

- Meta Business Suite (For Instagram and Facebook posts) - Buffer - Hootsuite - DashHudson (for Instagram and Pinterest) - SocialFlow (For Facebook and X)

Not all scheduling and automation tools are created equal. SproutSocial is amazing if you have clients who like fancy-looking in-depth reports. Buffer is my go to if you like to aggregate a lot of content online. Figure our what you and your clients need most and then utilise free trials of the software to get a sense of what will work best for you. There are also vast differences in costs between platforms with some like SkedSocial ranging from under $50 to others that cost $1000 or more a month. As an independent person, I recommend not getting too locked in too early to a pricey product. The prices tend to escalate over time and you need to make sure you have enough work to cover the expense each month.

There are lots of native social media options. You can schedule content directly on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. - You can do Hootsuite, Sprout social, Agorapulse The ones listed above require payment, but if you have clients it is 100% worth investing in. They help make your life easier if you are juggling through lots of clients and accounts.

Platforms like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Later allow scheduling posts across multiple social channels, saving time and ensuring consistent content distribution. These tools provide a calendar-style interface for planning and scheduling posts in advance, and they often offer analytics to track engagement. Hootsuite, for instance, allows scheduling across various social media platforms, providing a centralized dashboard for management. Buffer, on the other hand, focuses on streamlined scheduling and analytics. Later specializes in visual content and Instagram scheduling, catering to visually oriented content creators. These tools streamline the social media posting process and enable better time.

One of the underrated "listening tools" is actually listening to your customers and audience. Ask them what they need, what they like and don't like. Don't be shy! Just ask! Also, be in the groups (for example, Facebook groups) where your audience is. Read their posts, comments, and questions.

Analytics is the most underrated tool to master. With the great understanding of the analytical tool and the data driven technology platform like POWER BI AND SQL along with the above mentioned analytics tools, your product or brand can exceed the expectations.

I wouldn't call myself an analytics-type person, but I find it extremely useful to watch, monitor and shift when needed, as needed. I use analytics provided by each platform, as well as website , Google, etc.

Listening to your audience is paramount. Mention and Brand24 let me track brand mentions and trends. BuzzSumo helps identify influencers and relevant content. Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and Twitter Analytics offer deep insights into performance and audience behavior.

Looking at the insights gives you a quick idea of what your audience are liking/what needs tweaking. The best listening tool I’ve found is actually speaking to your audience or doing polls on LinkedIn/Instagram stories.

To further elevate community engagement, you can strategically employ activities like quizzes and giveaways on platforms such as Discord. These not only entertain but foster loyalty and retention. Treasure hunts and polls invoke curiosity, while user-generated content competitions amplify involvement, driving brand stickiness and enhancing customer lifetime value. Properly executed, these tactics can significantly impact community growth and business outcomes! Hope that's useful.

These days, there are several interesting tools. Personally, I participate in communities on Discord, and I always end up gaining insights, information, and contacts that I wouldn't have access to on some social networks or in person. So, always invest time in participating and also contributing insights to your communities.

Engaging with your audience is where the magic happens. Email marketing tools like Mailchimp and ConvertKit help me nurture relationships through personalized emails. Slack, Discord, and Facebook Groups are ideal for creating supportive online communities, fostering collaboration, and gaining valuable insights.

Social media must be seen as part of a wider digital strategy with coordinated efforts. It's great to engage with our audiences, capture their attention and listen to them because these days, it's where all important conversations are happening, but, we must understand that there is a multitude of voices and we need to use other tools for more personalised and focused touch base.

LinkedIn es una herramienta clave para autónomos en la creación de engagement y comunidad. Las newsletters, gratuitas en esta plataforma, permiten alcanzar a todas tus conexiones. Al usarlas, compartes conocimientos y fomentas interacción, manteniendo a tus contactos al día y construyendo una comunidad alrededor de tu marca personal. LinkedIn, con su amplia base de profesionales, facilita la conexión con personas de intereses similares, potenciando la colaboración y el crecimiento mutuo. Es una forma efectiva de generar compromiso y fortalecer tu presencia en el ámbito profesional.

Learning can be done via courses that many edtech platforms offer, but, but in this AI driven world, Perplexity AI and Glimpse search bar gives you more precise answers and with no distractions.

I love the online tools mentioned here, but nothing replaces face to face events and industry conferences. You can seek out locally hosted events or large, well-known events like Social Media World or HubSpot Inbound. And when in doubt, look for specific answers on YouTube or find your own community of digital marketers and social media managers!

I feel like I am always learning. Early in my career, I couldn't afford to buy marketing courses so I attended anything free I could find. I learned a lot. These days, I stay connected to the mastermind communities I'm in, I am open to training I see but manage my time better. I love recordings. I also watch the leaders in my industry who always share great stuff.

Continuous learning is essential. Udemy, Skillshare, and Coursera offer courses to expand my skill set. Eventbrite, Meetup, and LinkedIn Events connect me with valuable networking and learning opportunities.

The biggest asset to keeping up with trends and ongoing professional development I have found is through joining groups and associations. I have been a member of the Social Media Society for over 12 years, and have found that they provide most of the resources I need by tapping into the the talent pool for quick answers or searching their online library of learning tools. Social Media Marketing World and other in person conferences are also important to connecting with thought leaders and colleagues for collaboration and connections.

Stunned that there is no mention of AI in this article. AI has changed the game in regards to content creation! From Magic Suite in Canva to Midjourney to GenCraft to ChatGPT! AI has increased the speed of content creation and has helped with implementation.

Would absolutely add ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Midjourney to this list -- AI tools I'd use daily as a self-employed person to boost personal productivity!

There’s very little that a social media freelancer couldn’t do if armed with a solid practical knowledge of the following three tools and a premium license for each: - ChatGPT4 - Canva Premium - A scheduling/analytics tool of choice

Ethics. When you're a self-employed professional sometimes you need to make hard decisions and to consider possible ethical conflicts. Some examples: Can you use somenone else's idea whitout mentioning the source? Yes, sure you CAN. But SHOULD you? SHOULD you work with a company or brand you once mentioned in a tweet in a negative way? Sure you can, but should you?

One big thing to consider when operating social media channels for a business is to consider which channels will have the most impact based on the content you are sharing and your audience/customer base. You don’t need to be on every channel to be effective. It is better to target your social media efforts to the channels that make the most sense than to attempt to be on every channel.